Biography

Richard joined the Business School in March 2005 and is now a Senior Lecturer in Accountancy specialising in financial accounting, accounting information systems and social & environmental accountabilities. He is a qualified accountant, a Fellow of the Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (FHEA). He is also a member of the Financial Ethics and Governance Research Group.

Previously, Richard had spent a number of years in assurance and manufacturing. His post in assurance ranged from the preparation of FSA returns and statutory accounts to unit pricing control and reconciliation. Experience within a major international manufacturing organisation culminated in a variety of management and financial practices.

Richard has also designed, developed and managed internal and external education material; the latter for two major organisations: First Direct (HSBC) and Royal Mail Group, specialising in accounting fundamentals and Excel accounting excellence.

Prior to his accounting experiences, Richard was a professional footballer in both the UK and Asia, in particular China and Hong Kong. He began his career at Huddersfield Town AFC as an apprentice, after representing Huddersfield Town and Yorkshire boys; he had the good fortune to play against the likes of David Batty and the late Gary Speed throughout his youth. He played at all the major venues whilst at Huddersfield, including Anfield, Old Trafford and Villa Park, where he would do battle with top professionals such as Viv Anderson, Peter Beardsley and Lee Clark. Valuable experience was gained after a spell at York City as a professional but then his career saw him travel overseas to play for various clubs in Hong Kong, coming up against former British footballers Dale Tempest, Glynn Hodges and Tony Sealy, to name but a few. International clubs visited the principality yearly and Richard represented Hong Kong in major tournaments. But the most demanding and memorable period was in the mid 90’s when Richard played for 1st division side Guangdong Winnerway FC in China. Playing alongside international players, Richard experienced playing in front of 40,000 plus in scorching temperatures. Richard also played club tournaments in Macau, Vietnam and Cambodia. Richard retired from football early due to injury and decided to pursue a career in Accountancy.

Richard gained his PhD in 2017 which specialises in the social and environmental practices (SEAPs) of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK, covering internal and external communication outlets and incorporating the legitimation effects of SEAP engagement. Richard also holds a BA (Hons) in Law and Accountancy, an MSc in Risk, Disaster and Environmental Management and a PG Certificate in Higher Education Practice; all of which were undertaken from the University of Huddersfield.

Qualifications

PhD ‘The Legitimation Effects of Social and Environmental Practices: An Empirical Study of SMEs’

MSc Risk, Disaster & Environmental Management

PG Cert. Professional Development (Higher Education Practice)

FCCA

BA (Hons) Law & Accountancy

Research and Scholarship

Richard’s current research examines SMEs’ social and environmental practices, specifically the degree of legitimacy via management practices, as an alternative theoretical avenue. He is also exploring the communication outlets and disclosures as vehicles to assist their CSR undertakings.